Q: Monavie and other “super fruit” juices are pitched as having profound health benefits because of the antioxidants and phytonutrients they contain. Is there truth to the hype?

A: Both antioxidants and phytonutrients have profound health benefits. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains all have these antioxidants and phytonutrients, which are beneficial for decreasing the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and age-related degeneration.

Various fruit juices such as Monavie, Noni, acai and pomegranate all have beneficial antioxidants; however, these juices are not powerful enough by themselves to treat all that they might be claiming.

Q: The main ingredient in Monavie is acai juice. What is acai, and why is it getting so much attention?

A: The acai juice, which is made from the acai berry, is a dark bluish purple juice and has shown high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants help defend against aging, cancer, heart disease and other environmental effects (smog, smoking, pollution). Unfortunately research is still out on whether the acai berry has better effects on oxidative stress (those environmental factors) than other fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Q: Does juice count as a serving of fruit, and how many servings of fruit are recommended each day?

A: It is recommended that we get most of our fruit servings from whole fruit sources. Although we should limit our intake of fruit juices, six ounces of 100 percent fruit juice (without all of the additives) does count as one serving of fruit.

Q: Are there safety concerns with super fruit juices? Do you need to be concerned about interaction with other medicines or nutritional supplements?

A: If you have pollen allergies, the acai berry, or any fruit juices that might contain acai berry could cause possible allergic reactions.

But in general, “super fruits” and “super fruit juices” have no known adverse food and drug interactions. If you are taking chemotherapy, you should talk to your oncologist before drinking high doses of these juices because they could interfere with the treatment.

Q: Monavie and many similar types of juices are not sold in regular grocery stores. Are they worth the extra effort to get them, or is there a mainstream alternative?

A: The best way to get in antioxidants is by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. No one juice, pill or plant is a cure-all for the various diseases or environmental stressors we face daily. Research has shown that various antioxidants found in many different plant sources work together to provide us with the best health protection. Eating a variety of plant-based foods will ensure that we are getting many antioxidants for our defense.